Where do I resign my baptism?

[rolanni]

OK, this is disturbing. Not the part about people renouncing the faith they were born into -- that, I understand. No, my problem is right here: According to Argentine campaigner Ariel Bellino, a former Catholic: "The church counts all those who've been baptized as Catholic and lobbies for legislation based on that number....

I realize that I don't live in Argentina or the UK, but, yanno, I betcha the church is still counting me among the US faithful -- and I don't want to be on that list. Not only do I so not agree with almost everything the roman catholic church has to say about almost any topic relating to Life As I Know It To Be, I am by its own rules no longer a catholic. I have been excommunicated, like, a thousand times over:

Missed my Easter Duty? for years and years and YEARS

Married a divorced man, thereby living in "sin" for the past thirty years? oh, yeah

Used tarot cards and other tools of the Art Magical? ayuh

Embraced a Bohemian and artistic lifestyle? ...on second thought, that may not be on the Official List.

I had always believed that I had been struck from the church's census, since I don't show up in any parish documents, and I resent four thousand ways from tomorrow the fact that I'm (probably) still being counted as a roman catholic solely and only for the ADVERTISING VALUE, because my parents decided to have me baptized. I mean, it's fine that Mom and Dad were trying to look out for my eternal soul and all -- I'm not angry at them; they did what they thought was right. I just think that my adult decision to repudiate that baptism ought to count, here.

So, anyway -- does anyone know where I Officially Resign my baptism?

Comments

[mardott.livejournal.com]

I researched this for one of my books and found a great web page with instructions for doing this. Unfortunately, I'm not at home and I'm having trouble finding that page on this computer (I think my computer knows I'm serious when I search for things like atheism, paganism, or excommunication. Public computers don't believe you're serious).

Anyway, it can be done, but they don't make it easy, and I don't remember all the details. But in general, there are a few things you need to do.

You have to officially be excommunicated by the church. To do this:

1. Find the church you were baptized in. You have to communicate with them.

2. Research the reasons you can be excommunicated. There aren't as many as you might think - I was really surprised to find out that practicing witchcraft won't do it. They can burn you at the stake, but they won't excommunicate you.

Unbelief won't work either. You have to do things like kill the pope (not recommended), desecrate the host, (not sure how), etc.

But wait! I just foud the website:

http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/excommunication.htm

So I'll stop blathering and tell you to look there. Good luck...

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

This is very interesting, but the suggested letter is for atheists. I'm no longer Catholic, but I'm not sure I'm an atheist either.

Must think about how I can adapt that letter.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

This is very interesting, but the suggested letter is for atheists.

Actually, if you follow the "success story" link, you'll get a letter written by a person in New York, which may be more useful. Chapter and verse cites will have to be checked, of course, but you're a librarian. you have cite-checking foo.

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

Aha! Thank you!

Since membership in organizations apparently counts, perhaps we could form a League of the Formerly Catholic (But Sane Now) and use that as evidence.

[ligeia-bm.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm Argentine, and Muslim, though I was born Roman Catholic. The official word is that while you'll be added officially as an apostate (if you sign in the many campaigns for apostasy out there, or do all the painfully bureaucratic paperwork required), but that you will never rescind the baptism. It's said that even if you deny your Christianity, the baptismal water cannot be erased. That has been the argument raised by Catholics, saying that therefore renouncing Catholicism is useless. Even belonging to another religion for more than twenty years now, having married officially as a Muslim, etc, I'm counted by the Church as a catholic. A deviated, living in sin one, but catholic one anyway. And why is this so? because the Church here is officially supported by the State, and it's one of the biggest lobby groups politically speaking, and that's because they claim the 98% of the population is Roman catholic. Which is untrue, of course. Especially since the big boom of the Evangelist proselytism here, and the huge numbers of RC who left the Church after the revelations of its role in the last bloody military dictatorship in the 70's and the more recent scandals related to pedophilia and sexual harassment and/or discrimination. However, due to the baptismal records, they can keep the claim, and keep the huge economical support from the State. Their bishops are even considered with the rank of secretaries of State, receiving a salary accordingly. And a pension, when they "retire" at 75. Actually, all church members receive a pension, paid by the State upon retirement age. None of the priests/representatives of other recognized faiths in Argentina receive the same treatment. So, in brief, being a Muslim, my taxpayer money goes to pay Catholic bishops and priests' salaries and pensions. Which is outrageous, since I cannot use hospitals or public schools because of the lack of funds to provide them with the most basic necessities. Interesting enough, I cannot use catholic schools either, because they will not accept a Muslim child, of course, despite the huge funds they receive from the Argentine State (from taxpayers' money)to sustain catholic private education. Again, my taxpayer money goes down the drain in things I'm excluded to use. Lately, this is being contested, like for example with the huge apostasy campaign. But they have still a lot of power, politically and economically speaking. They are resisting by all means these campaigns, and the latest one (the apostasy one) has already claimed victims, with many people being fired from their jobs, if these were in any way related to the Catholic Church (in Education, for example). There is a case being discussed these days that could be considered as testing grounds for this kind of tactic. An University Professor (the only specialist in Persian Culture of the country, who taught in the El Salvador University)was fired because she publicly adhered to the apostasy campaign, though she never spoke about it in the University. This case has been brought to the Courts, which will have to decide if this is a case of discrimination or not. Funny thing is, they will take months (or years) to add the note of your apostasy beside your baptismal records, but they didn't take the same time to do a cross reference between those signing the apostasy letters to the Church's authorities, and the lists of those employed by the Church. So, they are using blackmail to prevent people "quitting" the Catholic faith. If they send apostasy letters, and their jobs are related to anything Catholic, they can expect to be fired. Or live in dread of being fired.

[ligeia-bm.livejournal.com]

BTW, El Salvador University is a Catholic University in Argentina, and its name it's not related to the Latin American country, but to Jesus himself. El Salvador = The Saviour.